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Zpack tarps ...how are they ?

looking for some input on Zpacks Hammock tarp
the price is right for me at $235 ... but wanted to see what everyone thinks of them
i know he sews his ridgeline seam... has there been any problems with this i know from my cuben stuff sacks that cuben with sewn seams can wear out over time....

It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

i'd never do a cooben tarp with sewn ridge.
wv, while not explicitly proclaiming... sold me on the bonded ridge.
stormcrow has followed suit.. as has mt.fitter, or lawson..... and others i'm sure
i've failed to represent. (sorry_)

to me, it don't make sense to sew, compromise the seam.... and now add the weight of a fingered-personal hand-jobby sealant with silnet.

hmmker for a day -
personally, i want an 11' ridge, by 12' sides-- likely a 3 panel bond. once the weight hits 11 oz for that huge of a tarp... who'd care..... the ultimate 4 season at 11 oz.

I'm a DIY kind of person, and unless they are using some thing to bond that I can't get I will sew. I have tested both and my bonds do not hold up as well as sewing. Z Packs uses a Feld Seam with a extra stich down the center, I have used the same. You will not pull it apart. Feld seams are the same seam used on jeans.
Bonding leaves the material kind of stiff at the bond. I have some concers that the bonded area will crack over time. I may be wrong on that, time will tell.

I'm a DIY kind of person, and unless they are using some thing to bond that I can't get I will sew. I have tested both and my bonds do not hold up as well as sewing. Z Packs uses a Feld Seam with a extra stich down the center, I have used the same. You will not pull it apart. Feld seams are the same seam used on jeans.
Bonding leaves the material kind of stiff at the bond. I have some concerns that the bonded area will crack over time. I may be wrong on that, time will tell.

It's good to have this kind of contribution added to the discussion, because we have a tendency to enthusiastically endorse things we like and hold back on criticisms. That makes posts with doubts and poor test results all the more valuable. It's encouraging that there haven't been reports of cuben (CTF3) tarps failing (yet). While I do prefer one type of bonding for CTF3 because it works well and fits the scale and type of my operations, I believe (and hope) that the others that have been described on HF are also eminently useable. That includes the sewn ridgelines from Zpacks.

Traftonm, can you give us a bit more detail on your tests? Bonding agent, width of seam, type of seam, curing time after bonding, and stuff like that would all be helpful. Don't feel you have to rival Underwriters Laboratories. My mind boggles at kilo-fig-newtons anyway.

I'm a DIY kind of person, and unless they are using some thing to bond that I can't get I will sew. I have tested both and my bonds do not hold up as well as sewing. Z Packs uses a Feld Seam with a extra stich down the center, I have used the same. You will not pull it apart. Feld seams are the same seam used on jeans.
Bonding leaves the material kind of stiff at the bond. I have some concers that the bonded area will crack over time. I may be wrong on that, time will tell.

yeah i'm a BIG DIY guy myself thats why i asked about the RL seam i know from stuff sacks i have in cuben that cuben sometimes does not like to be sewn... and it's good to hear about the glue not being 100% ...
that was going to be my next question so you killed 2 birds with one stone
this is VERY good input and was done the right way without bashing a vendor or a person... this is how you post Best post of the year

Originally Posted by WV

It's good to have this kind of contribution added to the discussion, because we have a tendency to enthusiastically endorse things we like and hold back on criticisms. That makes posts with doubts and poor test results all the more valuable. It's encouraging that there haven't been reports of cuben (CTF3) tarps failing (yet). While I do prefer one type of bonding for CTF3 because it works well and fits the scale and type of my operations, I believe (and hope) that the others that have been described on HF are also eminently useable. That includes the sewn ridgelines from Zpacks.

Traftonm, can you give us a bit more detail on your tests? Bonding agent, width of seam, type of seam, curing time after bonding, and stuff like that would all be helpful. Don't feel you have to rival Underwriters Laboratories. My mind boggles at kilo-fig-newtons anyway.

I agree WV very good post it was done in a way that didn't bash anyone and gave useful information ...i also would like to know more about the bonding he use on the test ... so i know for the future if i get a tarp with a bonded seam ...

It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

thank you for the link i was looking at his tarps and they are nice... i am getting his CF pack the one thats stripped down
i'm a pack junkie LOL
but i was trying to stay in the $230 range .... and the Zpack tarp is the only one in that range right now

It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

Have had no problems with mine thus far. I seam sealed the ridgeline, and it held up well in a monsoon on the loyalsock trail. I pitched it tight, and have seen no evidence of problems. I know what you are seeing though with regards to the stitches on cuben. I have seen example of the holes the stitches went through widening with tension over time. However, the seam on the zpacks ridgeline is a different type of sewing(as mentioned), and I think it takes care of that problem. Time will tell.